New River Middle to Unveil New Guy Harvey Designed Logo For Marine Science Magnet

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) is taking its mission directly into Broward County Public Schools classrooms with a fascinating hands-on approach involving marine documentaries, online lectures, teaching aids and even citizen partnerships from those looking to further the cause of ocean conservation.

The GHOF’s latest education partnership is with the Marine Science Magnet Program at New River Middle School in Fort Lauderdale. On Tuesday, September 30, 2014, beginning at 10 a.m., students and staff at New River Middle will celebrate a new Guy Harvey designed logo created for the school, which is appropriately nicknamed “Home of the Sharks,” and participate in programs throughout the day involving a film screening and presentations by top marine scientists. In addition, Jessica Vaughn, who recently made national news as the result of a shark encounter in Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal Waterway and who is now an advocate for shark conservation, will also be attending. Media are invited to cover these events; please R.S.V.P. to cathleen.brennan@browardschools.com.

The New River Marine Science Magnet Program was established in 1997, and provides students with an in-depth exploration of Florida’s coastal habitats. According to magnet coordinator Katherine O’Fallon, the program emphasizes an appreciation of the environment, the conservation of the region’s coastal ecosystems, and an understanding of the role of Marine Industries and other Florida agencies.

“It’s a very popular program and through their experiences at New River, students become stewards of the marine ecosystems that are in their backyard,” said O’Fallon, who also stated that in addition to classroom studies, students get to experience field trips and hands-on research.

The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation has been promoting K-12 marine science education for the last several years. The GHOF has provided classroom posters, films and shark presentations. The goal is to spark interest among students in science and marine science specifically, and to provide educators with tools to make classroom instruction more powerful.

Antonio Fins, executive director of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, hopes to support the school’s on-the-water studies through a shark tagging research outing with local scientists at the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University. He said a program is currently under development.

“The goal of our education program, including the classroom posters, films and shark presentations, is to bolster marine science education,” said Fins. “The first step in preparing today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders in marine conservation is to spark their curiosity in the classroom.”

Fins said thousands of the foundation’s poster, including last year’s “Sharks of the World” marine education posters, have made their way into Florida classrooms since 2012 - courtesy of renown marine wildlife artist and conservationist Guy Harvey and Guy Harvey brand Florida Lottery games in 2012 and 2013. The 2014-2015 posters will be produced in partnership with the Miami Dolphins Foundation.

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ABOUT GUY HARVEY
Guy Harvey is a marine wildlife artist and conservationist who earned a Ph.D. in Fisheries Biology. His depictions of marine life, especially of sportfish such as marlin, are very popular with sport fishermen and have been reproduced in prints, posters, t-shirts, jewelry, clothing, and other consumer items. Harvey is also a very vocal and active advocate for marine conservation, having established the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University of Fort Lauderdale, Florida as well as the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, an organization that funds marine conservation research and educational initiatives.www.guyharvey.com

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest public school system in the United States and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has over 260,000 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 237 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 100 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population. Students are from 204 different countries and speak 135 different languages. For more information about BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @Browardschools, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app.